Darkslider

Can't beat the locking DMM vault IMO, it's handy being able to lock it when you know you're going to be scrambling round in some conifer and you don't want to be clipping yourself into branches every 2 minutes.

I bought a 1.5 tonner earlier in the year, one thing I discovered is a good proportion of the newer machines advertised at sensible prices on Facebook are scams, Impossible to view and the seller is only interested in taking a small deposit to hold it for you and can't answer any other questions or actually arrange a viewing. Not to say your observation isn't also true that's just what I found back in the summer time

I see what you mean looking at the photos but nope both rings have their pins, gudgeon pin and circlips there, crank feels nice and smooth when rotated I really am at a loss 🤣

Did a bit more tinkering with this today. Removed spark plug and replaced with a mityvac bung I can hold in with my thumb while pulling over. Still locks up every 2 pulls but if I keep pressure on the cord and let my thumb off the bung it pops out with a bang and the starter cord comes out the rest of the way with it. Tried this with the coil, carb and exhaust all off to rule them all out as causes. Thinking this definitely points to over compression now I try the Gunson tester on it with the 10mm adapter from the Sealey one. It's got a nice light spring on the Schrader valve and has given me reliable results on all my other saws, 5 or 10 pulls including a few that lock up and it's reading 160 psi. About what I'd expect from a 4 year old saw and I think I can trust this result now, however doesn't help with my problem. Decide to strip it all the way down next, but that doesn't reveal anything untoward. Bit of carbon build up on top of the piston crown but everything else looks in good nick. Conrod looks nice and straight and no signs of scoring or gouging where the piston might have been nipping up or canting or anything. I think this one might be going to the dealer for them to try. I had a good play around with the recoil mechanism too couldn't get it to stick or jam or anything.

Last two replies are helpful and just the sort of thinking I lack sometimes. The saw is a 2018 model and came to me damaged and pretty neglected so anything could have happened to it, I think a wrong diameter piston being fitted is unlikely but not impossible

And remember it pulls over dead easily forever with no plug in, the problems only there when it's got the plug in and building compression which makes me think it's gotta be something in the cylinder causing it, just can't for the love of me think what

Hope not, it's a possibility though! Think I'll get a 100% confirmed compression reading from somewhere first then take it to bits if it agrees with my tester

Plug is the correct one for the saw as I replaced it when the saw came to me, it exhibits the same behaviour with a compression tester fitted in place of the plug too. The carb leaking fuel into the cylinder raising the compression was also one of my thoughts but the plug isn't sopping when I remove it, it's the same when pulled over with the throttle wide open too. I tried filling the cylinder with contact cleaner and giving it a few pulls to clean it out but no change there. [quote] Bit confused where you state 'and even after 30 hard pulls (10 of which were of the seized type) the best I could get was 90 psi' It's either 'seized' or you can pull it over...if it's seized, then it's seized...if you can pull it over albeit with increasing difficulty, then it's not seized...which is it? [/quote] This is exactly the confusion, you get two normal pulls then the third locks up solid, let the cord retract a little and give it a monster tug and it pulls through and then you get another 2 pulls and so on. So it's obviously not seized, but every 3rd or 4th pull it's behaving like it is. I think my next step is to try it with the fuel line disconnected from the carb just to rule that out, then it might have to go to the dealer for a known good compression test to confirm my testers result is accurate

Work colleague has just picked up one of these last week and seems to like it. I like the power to weight of it and the fact it's simpler than the 50cc class from Stihl/husky which seems to me like more of a tech race. Just like all Echos though I think the high power and low weight comes at a slight reduction in durability, they seem a bit flimsier with thinner handles etc.

I've got two top handles that both have the same problem, an Echo CS350tes and a Husky T525. Bought them both second hand and they've both done this since I got them, I'm focusing on the Husky at the mo as that's the one I want to use more often. Starter frequently (i.e every 3 pulls) locks up absolutely solid, making life very difficult up a tree. I've rebuilt a 200t that has 200 psi compression and have a 372 with no decompressor and this is harder to start than both of them so it's not just a case of MTFU. Piston looks good exhaust is clear as is the flywheel to coil gap. With the plug removed it pulls over lovely and freely no sign of any nipping up or seizing, and once running it's perfect with stable idle and loads of power. But refit the plug and it's back to locking up solid again. Immediate thought is it feels like it has stupid high compression, maybe been run oily or with a blocked filter and coked up the cylinder/piston crown. However I tried my motorcycle compression tester on it (Sealey MS100, only one I have which has a 10mm plug adapter) and even after 30 hard pulls (10 of which were of the seized type) the best I could get was 90 psi. If my compression tester is to be trusted which I think it is as it should be designed for 50cc 2 stroke scooters, then this isn't making much sense. The only thing I can think of causing this issue is a coked up cylinder ramping the compression up, but the reading on the gauge suggests it's knackered and needs a new pot and piston. Any suggestions gratefully received!

55mk2 is a cracking saw, had no problems with mine and I've kicked it's head in every day.

Is this oil pump mod something that can be done on most oil pumps or just the ms462? I've got a little Husky T525 top handle that doesn't supply enough oil even with the adjuster wound up, I've cleaned out both the lines and it is oiling but a pathetic amount and the chain overheats easily especially around the narrow tip of the bar which is a solid nose carving type

Just looked on L&S and while they list the right code of carb it's showing OOS at the mo, I heard Stihl are having parts issues due to lots of their suppliers being Ukraine based.

How do you go about diagnosing an accelerator pump problem? I've had a few saws where everything else has checked out but it still bogs when revving so as a last resort I've fitted a new carb which has cured the problem, however it's always felt like a lucky guess so far I'd like to know for sure how to pinpoint an internal carb/pump fault?

Still 550 xp money too which is what I went for. 4kg is light though, maybe it's the better tool for all day clearance and coppicing.